The use of machine learning for predicting complications of free flap head and neck reconstruction: caution needed

The study recently published by Asaad et al. aimed to describe the application of machine learning (ML) algorithms for the prediction of complications in free fap head and neck reconstruction. The authors concluded that ML models can accurately identify patients at risk of experiencing postsurgical complications, including total fap loss. Although a large single center cohort was used to develop and validate these prediction models, the interpretation of the results warrants caution. ML is being used in the healthcare setting to enhance current prediction modeling by providing more accurate and precise predictions for outcomes of interest, with an increasing number of published papers showing different clinical applications